Mad About Milli Vanilli?

Splashback

November 30, 1990|Compiled by Suzanne Dimon, features assistant.

Here are some of the responses to last week's question about Milli Vanilli:

THERESA B. HAMPTON, Yorktown: ``I believe that groups like Milli Vanilli should be allowed to lip-sync on records. I'm buying the music, it doesn't matter how it got to be. But as far as during performances, now then I want a live performance. I listened to the record and that was non-live, so give me the real people and if the people that really sing don't want the credit, that's on them as far as records go.''

BARBARA FAISON, Hampton: ``I don't think they should get paid for something they're not really doing. When I go to a concert I expect to be able to hear the people really singing and the performance along with it.''

VIOLENA SULZBERGER, Hampton: ``Milli Vanilli should not be allowed to lip-sync on records or during performances because they were initially deceitful to the people. They should not be allowed to continue to perform.''

SYLVESTER CONQUEST, Hampton: ``I feel that groups like Milli Vanilli should be able to lip-sync on records and at concerts as long as the fans and the paying people are made aware of that before concerts and before purchasing a record because I did see Milli Vanilli this summer at the Hampton Coliseum and I was satisfied with their performance, but I think I'd like to have known they were lip-syncing because they fooled me.''

LEE MATTHEWS, Newport News: ``If they want to consider themselves serious musicians, no they should not. They should at least be honest and present themselves as a novelty group and not confuse themselves with real musicians. I think it's a slap in the face to real musicians everywhere.''

JIM BIGGS, Richmond: ``I think if you allow groups like that to perform then you'll have the music industry being nothing better than professional wrestling. You don't know what's real and what's not. We have to keep it legitimate.''

AARON GRACE, Hampton: ``I believe with groups like Milli Vanilli it's up the audiences to decide whether or not they want to go, but they should let the audience know that that's what they're planning to do. I don't see anything wrong with what they did. I don't think they should have been stripped of their Grammy, but I believe they should be headed in a new category now.''

RENEE NEWBOLD, Newport News: ``I think it depends on the situation. If a performer lip-syncs because they have high energy stage shows, like Janet Jackson and Paula Abdul, that's one thing, at least you know it's them singing. Milli Vanilli and their producers not only lived a lie they made other people pay for it. I hope this teaches the Grammy nominating board what happens when they choose style over substance.''

ALLEN ESTERMAN, Hampton: ``Groups like that should not be able to lip-sync. I pay almost $20 to go to a concert, I should hear the people sing. I pay $15 for CDs and cassettes, I should get the real thing. Now, if they can't afford to do this, then they should lower the prices. If they're not going to give us our money's worth, I might as well just pay them phony money if I'm going to get a phony concert.''

GARY MURRAY, Hampton: ``I don't think groups like that should be able to lip-sync because the people who actually do the singing don't get the credit for what they're doing. If their names appear on the album and in the stores that would be OK, but having some fairy puppets out there acting like they're singing is really stupid.''

WILLIAM GILES, Waverly: ``No. You pay your money for a performance. The performer must give you what you pay for. Like all other services you want what you pay for. I didn't pay money to see or hear somebody act like they were doing it. I see actors on the screen, I pay to see performers perform. Singers especially should be able to sing.''